For years, social impact has been seen as the ‘icing on the cake’ for most businesses. But times have changed. We live in an era where goodness and social impact should be baked into the core of any business. The Naked Difference does just that.
The Naked Difference shows that a business set up to do good can itself be good for business
The Naked Difference is not a traditional corporate social investment, but rather a new way of doing business that ensures we always act in our customers’ best interests whilst also serving the greater good of society.
Traditional insurance operates on the basis where fewer claims means more profits. This means the insurer and the client both have their hands in the same pot, competing for the same money.
Naked has found a new way of doing business, where shareholders, customers and causes all win
We have removed our hand from the claims pot completely. Instead we take a flat fee off the monthly premiums our clients pay to cover running costs and profits, and the rest of the money goes into a pot to pay out our clients’ claims. In years when the total value of claims is low – for example, when there are fewer hail storms or wildfires than we budgeted for – we pay whatever’s left in the claims pot to causes that our customers choose, rather than adding it to our bottom line.
That’s the Naked Difference and it changes everything about insurance.
In light of all of this, we’re excited that we have made our first Difference payment of R250 000.
The impact of the Difference payment in 2020
Door of Hope – Caring for abandoned babies and helping them find their forever home
Door of Hope is an organisation that cares for babies who have been abandoned. Their mission is to not only help them survive, but to make sure that they are loved and cared for in the process. The roughly R100 000 paid to Door of Hope from the Naked Difference has been committed to the general care and wellbeing of the 68 babies currently there.
“It is refreshing and inspiring that an insurance company chooses to prioritise social care by creating an easy way for their clients to impact a better tomorrow. This donation will be such a ginormous help!” – Nadene Grabham, Door of Hope
Christel House – Changing the lives of impoverished kids at their non-profit school
Christel House is a non-profit school in Cape Town that not only educates impoverished children, but provides them with healthcare, transport, nutritious meals and guidance counselling. Around R27 000 was paid to Christel House from the 2020 Difference payment.
“We are extremely proud of our partnership with Naked. This allows us to build sustainability with our partners who want to contribute to building our communities, and who can do so through their ethical business practices. This year we’re using the funds from the Naked Difference to purchase essential COVID-related hygiene supplies and personal protective equipment to safeguard our 731 students.” – Adri Marais, Christel House
Cotlands – Helping young children by creating access to play-based early learning opportunities
Cotlands is a non-profit early childhood development organisation. Its aim is to address the education and social crisis by establishing early learning playgroups and toy libraries in under-resourced communities to serve vulnerable children. They received around R27 000, which is being used to help with necessary supplies for the kids.
“Partnering with Naked has helped support our children, giving them a better start at a successful school career.” – Amanda Bossenger, Cotlands
Greenpop Foundation – Working to restore ecosystems and empower environmental stewards
The Greenpop Foundation has planted more than 115 000 trees since 2010. It hopes to restore ecosystems but also improve the lives of communities who rely on forest resources across sub-Saharan Africa.
The Difference payment of roughly R18 000 has funded the planting of 158 trees in Hogsback State Forest, Hogsback, Eastern Cape as part of Greenpop’s project Forests for Life: Wild Bird Trust – Cape Parrot Project.
“The Naked Difference means the world to us! With every R120 contribution Greenpop is able to plant a tree in one of our forest restoration projects across Sub-Saharan Africa. Businesses like Naked who incorporate the Naked Difference into their core business model are leading the way in terms of corporate social responsibility.” – Carla Wessels, The Greenpop Foundation
Living Legends – Improving South African communities who are negatively affected by poverty and unemployment
The purpose of Living Legends is to offer learning opportunities to children aimed at broadening their horizons, finding their own voice and pursuing their dreams. Around R24 000 paid from the Naked Difference will enable Living Legends to continue and expand their sport-based curriculum as well as their life skills programmes in primary schools.
“This new partnership with Naked will enable us to continue to use physical education, sport and life skills to support learners by providing various opportunities and help to awaken a journey to a meaningful and responsible life. We are truly grateful!” – Le Roux Conradie, Living Legends
WOOF Project, Oscars Arc – Accelerating dog adoption
The WOOF Project is a pop-up dog adoption initiative developed to transform the lives of shelter dogs by taking them to the public. Since its inception in March 2017, WOOF Project has successfully homed 2 254 dogs.
There has been an overload of dogs surrendered at shelters during COVID-19 as people struggle to have the finances to look after their dogs. The Difference payment will help the WOOF Project shelter these extra dogs whose lives depend on it. It ensures that they each are provided with a solid meal each day, that they each have adequate bedding and that they are loved until such time that Oscars Arc finds them a forever home through our public adoption initiatives.
“This extraordinary payment of R39 218 from the Naked Difference is a blessing beyond comprehension. In such challenging and uncertain times, a significant contribution like this provides a financial foundation to enable the WOOF Project to continue operating and to keep saving shelter dogs’ lives for the interim future. A sincere thank you to Naked for giving back and making this profound difference in the work we do; both for shelter dogs and in the lives of the families that chose to adopt a wonderful dog.” – Joanne Lefson, Oscars Arc
Hope for the future
We’re so proud of our Naked tribe. We and our customers have collectively supported an array of causes that each mean something special to us. It’s still early days for Naked, and we are excited about the opportunity to grow our contribution and support to our communities and causes in the years to come as our business expands.
PS. If you have a Naked policy but haven’t yet chosen your cause, head over to the app and pick one that is close to your heart.